F. Scott Fitzgerald
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Biography, Historical Background, and the American Dream
The American Dream at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Students use a variety of songs to explore the concept of The American Dream. Music, lyrics, not available onsite.
American Writers: The Great Gatsby
Note the links to the right: Featured writer, Featured place, classroom resources. This site accompanies the C-SPAN American Writers series and includes online video clips.
The end of an era for the "Gatsby house"
This video clip explores the end of the house that may have inspired Fitzgerald's writing.
The Great Gatsby: Primary Sources from the Roaring Twenties
In order to appreciate historical fiction, students need to understand the factual context and recognize how popular culture reflects the values, mores, and events of the time period. Since a newspaper records significant events and attitudes representative of a period, students create their own newspapers utilizing primary source materials from the American Memory collections
Monogram Maker
Just for fun, coinciding with the release of the Baz Luhrman movie, an app that styles the user's initials in Art Deco. Create email stationery or desktop wallpaper, or post to popular social media sites.
The Roaring Twenties
This simulation from the McCord Museum of Canadian History in Montreal, Quebec, invites students to choose a role (male or female) and learn the ins and outs of the Twenties. Headsets recommended.
Things to Worry About
Nonfiction piece: a letter F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote to his 11-year-old daughter, "Scottie," who was away at camp. Possible writing assignment: what letter might Tom/Nick/Gatsby send to a daughter?
USC: F.Scott Fitzgerald Centenary Home Page
Biography, timeline, essays, and bibliography.
Where Is Jay Gatsby’s Mansion?
A good nonfiction background article on the mansions from the Twenties. Locates East and West Egg on Long Island.
The Great Gatsby
Anticipation Guide
As part of a longer discussion of anticipation guides, this page includes one that focuses on close reading from chapter 1 of Gatsby.
Bringing Gatsby into the EFL/ESL Classroom
In a five unit lesson plan under the headings of 1) setting the scene, 2) character exploration, 3) visualization, 4) understanding the climax, and 5) student presentations, The Great Gatsby can take on meaning and understanding for EFL/ESL students.
Character Impressions
In The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald uses revealing details and diction to bring characters alive and to create an overall mood or impression. In this lesson, students will analyze a passage by identifying words, details, phrases, and dialogue that create opinions and contribute to an overall mood or tone. After analyzing Fitzgerald’s techniques, students will write a scene, poem, or song that reveals the personality of a person or character and creates mood through the use of showing details.
Character Metaphors
The students will explore characters by creating metaphors with pictures. Using a gingerbread styled template and pictures collected from magazines, clip art, or other sources, the students will paste pictures which represent specific qualities of a character. Students should explain how each picture is a metaphor for a character, and why the picture is pasted in the that particular area of the body. Unit plan includes handouts.
The Gift of Gatsby
In this lesson, students learn about the appeal of The Great Gatsby in the contemporary American high school English curriculum. They take a reading comprehension quiz based on the New York Times article they have read, discuss several key "Gatsby" themes today's students find relevant, and then write reflective pieces for homework. Lesson plan includes New York Times article.
The Great Gatsby
Text of the novel.
The Great Gatsby
Historical background, author biography, related works, discussion questions, related resources, and a thorough teacher's guide. These materials were prepared as part of the NEA Big Read.
The Great Gatsby
A list of reading strategies, including an anticipation guide, a directed reading-thinking activity, a guided imagery activity, vocabulary practice, and more. Adobe Reader required for access.
The Great Gatsby
Vocabulary, focus questions, additional links, classroom activities.
The Great Gatsby
Timeline, vocabulary, chapter questions, and postreading reflection. This 13-page document requires Adobe Reader for access.
The Great Gatsby: Living the Dream in the Valley of Ashes
In this YouTube video author John Green discusses major themes in the novel. Sometimes frenetic but always right on the money, this video will serve well as either an introduction or post-reading activity.
The Great Gatsby Setting Map
After reading about half of the novel, students design a map of the setting. This site includes a checklist for assessment.
The Great Gatsby Treasure Hunt
This prereading activity asks students to explore a dozen aspects of the Roaring Twenties.
Improving My Teaching of Reading: New Techniques; Old Methods
A teacher models a close reading lesson using Gatsby.
An Index to The Great Gatsby
An extensive index of the novel.
Links for The Great Gatsby study
The cultural context of Gatsby, available as either a slide presentation or web pages.
Multigenre Prompts
The six multigenre prompts on this handout relate to The American Dream and Gatsby. MS-Word or compatible application required for access.
My American Dream: Multigenre Paper
This handout states requirements for an assignment. Requires MS-Word or compatible application for access.
The "Secret Society" and FitzGerald's The Great Gatsby
Students analyze the novel "for a consideration of class, wealth, and status during the turbulent 1920's" and consider its relevance to their own lives.
Suggestions for Pairing Contemporary Music and Canonical Literature
A list of songs that were inspired by reading literature. Organized by the last name of the author (e.g. Chinua Achebe, William Butler Yeats), the list includes song title, performer, year of release, and more. The list includes 16 songs inspired by The Great Gatsby.
Vocabulary from The Great Gatsby
A list of 15 words drawn from the novel. Click on the word for its definition and synonyms.
The Voice of Dreams
"Students will explore the idea of the 'American dream' in the past and present, and through real and fictional human stories. They will consider what the American dream is, if anyone still believes in it, if it is still achievable, and what drives people to pursue it." Site includes handouts, links to video clips, and other related links.
Writing About Literature
This page offers several suggestions for writing about literature in general; scroll down a little to find 9 daily journal prompts related to The Great Gatsby.
Other Stories
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Links to texts of most novels and stories. Download or read them online.
F.Scott Fitzgerald, "Babylon Revisited"
Thirteen questions for writing and/or discussion. This document requires MS-Word for access.
F. Scott Fitzgerald: "Winter Dreams"
In this lesson plan designed for grades 6-8, students study the biography and work of F. Scott Fitzgerald. They learn how the author used autobiographical elements in writing his stories, and they try a hand at writing a Fitzgerald-style story with autobiographical elements of their own.
"Winter Dreams"
Text and questions for analysis. Handouts require Adobe Reader or compatible application for access.
